Saudi Crown Prince MBS arrives in Jordan on regional visit | Mohammed bin Salman News

Enterprise leaders and officers hope the go to will unblock a minimum of $3bn in funding initiatives by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has arrived in Jordan amid a thaw in relations following years of frayed relations with Amman.

The arrival of MBS on Tuesday marks the primary such go to in additional than 5 years by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and comes at a time when Jordan’s financial system is scuffling with the financial knock-on results of the Ukraine warfare and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a chance for a brand new part in Jordanian-Saudi ties and to proceed a programme of financial initiatives and new investments,” a senior Jordanian official advised the Reuters information company.

Enterprise leaders and officers hope the go to will unblock a minimum of $3bn of funding initiatives that Saudi Arabia dedicated to in recent times, however that by no means materialised.

MBS arrived in Cairo on the primary leg of his regional tour on Monday, a go to that comes forward of United States President Joe Biden’s journey to the area subsequent month.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi obtained MBS on the airport, a courtesy to the de facto Saudi chief, who’s a gradual monetary backer of the Egyptian authorities.

The go to to Jordan is the second cease on MBS’s regional tour, with Turkey additionally a part of his tour.

Over the previous few a long time, Jordan and Saudi Arabia had shut ties with the 2 monarchies cooperating on safety points and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. Nevertheless, their relationship has grown strained.

For Saudi Arabia, Jordan was by no means totally dedicated to its political causes, particularly the warfare on Yemen. Saudi-Jordanian ties then reached a low throughout former US President Donald Trump’s time period in workplace when Amman, a staunch US ally, felt that Riyadh’s shut relations with Trump’s administration undermined Jordan’s pivotal position in Arab-Israel peacemaking.

MBS’s assist for Trump’s “Deal of the Century” additionally sidelined Amman, which had historically performed a mediator position between Israel, the Palestinians, and the remainder of the Arab world.

Tensions have additionally simmered between the 2 sides over the Hashemite custodianship of holy websites in Jerusalem.

Jordanians are hoping the go to by MBS will put an finish to the strained relations and assist to enhance the tough financial scenario within the aid-reliant nation.

Saudi Arabia and Jordan additionally share deep considerations about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and what they see as Tehran’s destabilising position within the area, a Jordanian official mentioned.